Currently, a plurality of telephone network accessibility services such as personal number and portable number features are provided to business and private subscribers. Typical for these services is that the subscriber number and the subscriber line need not be bundled together. Hence, the service subscriber can determine the physical telephone apparatus (subscriber line) to which calls coming to his number will be routed. However, these services typically are very complicated and clumsy to use. When the service subscriber wishes to make alterations, e.g., by assigning a new physical destination number for the personal number service to which incoming calls should be routed, he must first call a certain number given by the service provider, whereby an automatic voice messaging machine first requests the service subscriber to enter his subscriber identity code (typically having a length of 4-7 digits, e.g., in the format abc defg#) and then a password (typically of 4 digits, e.g., in the format hijk#); and after these operations the subscriber may possibly gain access to a menu in which a selection x permits the subscriber to dial a new physical destination number (e.g., in the format XYZ abcdefg#) to which he wishes his incoming call to be routed. Up to this moment, depending on the provided service the subscriber typically has been compelled to dial a total of some 19-32 digits.
It is an object of the invention to overcome the drawbacks of the above-described prior art and provide an entirely novel type of system and method for changing the state of subscriber A-number.
The invention is based on the idea that a certain B-number of the service provider is associated with a set of automatic subscriber A-number state changes that are activated simply by setting up a call. One embodiment of the invention is characterized by the use of tables that are activated simply by setting up a call. Each B-number of the service provider can activate a separate service. In addition to the number being activated, each B-number of the provided service may offer other selections for changing the parameters of the subscriber connection.
The invention offers significant benefits.
The invention makes it possible to readily control and change the control parameters of a telephone network associated with a given subscriber number. With the help of the present method, the subscriber can easily steer the call control routines associated with his accessibility number or alternatively, the forwarding of calls placed on the call hunt directory number of the network Automatic Call Distribution (ACD) service to the members of the hunt group. Both cases have in common that the subscriber can change the operation of the number control logic by a single call. In its simplest form, such a change is accomplished simply by pressing a single one-touch dial key of a telephone set, after which the service completes the routine. The caller identification is based on A-number and B-number tables stored in the telephone exchange register. As an optional feature, the service can be complemented with a password request (either in service- or subscriber-specific format). Furthermore, the subscriber can verify the state of the subscriber number control service by means of a single call.
Further scope of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description given hereinafter. However, it should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating preferred embodiments of the invention, are given by way of illustration only, since various changes and modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this detailed description.